Economics and Investing:

At The Daily Bell: Dollar Replacement Beat Goes On … and On

Downgrading of U.S. Credit Rating Just Tip of the Iceberg

John R. suggested this: Debts Just Don’t Disappear

Also from John, some commentary by Gordon T. Long: Bernanke’s QEx Box

Meredith sent this: It’s Official: China Will Be Dumping US Dollars

Items from The Economatrix:

Unemployment Falls in Two-Thirds of US States

New Home Construction Increases 7.2% in March

Fears of Greek Debt Default Hit Markets

Investors Drove Home Sales Up 3.7% in March. (Yes, but for a reality check, look at this price chart.)

Odds ‘n Sods:

Science fiction writer David Brin (the author of The Postman) offers his observations on societal fragility: Our Worst Frailty: An Electro Magnetic “Hit”. (Thanks to G.G.)

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Dateline: Nanny State, New York: Summer Camp Tag, Wiffle Ball Will Come With a Warning, Thanks to New York Politicians. “Camps that want campers to play the games will be required to pay a $200 registration fee and have medical staff on hand.” (Thanks to Eric B. for the link.)

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B. sent a link to a video about the only remaining B-29 Superfortress that is still flying: Fifi Flies Again.

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Reader G.J. wrote to mention that there was some debate at his local retreat group’s recent meeting about where the Rawles Ranch is located, and he asked me for a hint. Sorry, but I’m not telling. That is a secret on a par with Mount Yamantau.

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“Atlas Shrugged” box office success stuns liberal Hollywood. (A tip of the hat to Marilyn R. for the link.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 34 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Small Campstove Cooking, by R.E.

There are situations where the difference between a hot meal and a cold one is literally life and death. A hot meal can stave off hypothermia, and bringing food to boiling can prevent disease. Fire is good, and using fire to cook is better.

I used to do a lot of camping and hiking, and have vague ambitions of returning to those pursuits. Because of that, and because I like having alternate means for important resources, over the past year I have been doing a lot of research into methods of heating food and drinks when away from utilities… or when utilities fail.

This was brought home to me, personally, during a recent five hour blackout which hit my county and two adjacent. Adding to the problems the situation caused, this was late on a very cold Winter night.

My neighborhood has long had problems with the electrical supply. Things are much better now, since the utility company came through and upgraded much of the equipment a few years ago. However, we still have brief blackouts – usually only a few minutes – a couple of times a year, with occasional longer outages. This, though, was a record, in both duration and geographic extent.

Because of the recurring outages in my neighborhood, many people around here were well equipped with candles and kerosene heaters during the big blackout. However, I had candles, a pair of Aladdin kerosene mantle lamps, a natural gas mantle lamp rated for indoor use – mounted to a wall in the basement – a Kerosun kerosene heater (which doubles as a stove), and a neat little folding camp stove. I fueled the kerosene heater, put it on the basement floor and lit it. I also lit the natural gas mantle lamp. Upstairs, I had both kerosene lamps and four large candles going. Briefly, I also used the folding stove. When the power came back my upstairs temperature was still quite comfortable, having dropped only a few degrees in five hours on a very cold night.

Better, during that long outage, I was able to make a large mug of steaming hot tea. I put that camp stove on my kitchen range and used it to heat the water.

The folding stove – meant for camping and hiking – is made by Sterno. It’s steel, so it’s heavier than many folding stoves for the same use. However, it is sturdy, folds almost flat, and can be used with a wide variety of fuels. Using Sterno cans – there are some specifically intended for cooking, with a higher output than the tray warmers – it would still take quite a while to boil enough water for a bowl of soup or a mug of tea. However, the can holder in the bottom will also hold many other types of fuel containers. They can be found in many places, but the best prices I have located are on eBay. The stove usually comes with a couple of the Sterno camping fuel cans.

That cold, dark night I didn’t use the Sterno cans. Instead, I used the fuel can for a very clever little stove made for the Swiss Army, the M71. It burns hotter, for longer, with a cleaner flame, than any other canned heat I’ve tried. It has a re-closeable lid, and when you first open it there’s a thick aluminum seal you need to cut out. After use, simply put the cover back on. It comes with a springy steel sheet metal pot support which stores around the stove, and which in use fits in the groove inside the can’s top lip.

The M71 when used as intended is quite secure, very light and compact, and it produces a lot of heat at a high rate from its gel fuel. Prices vary widely for these, so shop around. These stoves come plastic wrapped with fuel canister, spring steel stove and a book of matches. The only caveat I know of is that if the thick gel fuel has bubbles those will pop from the heat. The fuel is so thick I’ve never seen it spatter when this happens, but it might. Oh, and the instructions are in Swedish.

Why didn’t I just use that little stove, instead of the the Sterno folding stove? Two reasons. First, the Sterno stove is much studier and more stable. Second, the folding stove holds the pot or pan higher above the flames, which allows more complete combustion. This reduces carbon monoxide production, and also fumes from unburned fuel.

Though the odor from the Swiss stuff is pretty mild, that doesn’t hold true for all canned fuels. Some have noticeable odor, as do some solid fuels. Whether the odor will be objectionable to a particular individual depends on the person and how enclosed the space. (Speaking of odor, that was one reason I didn’t heat the water for my tea on the Kerosun stove, with another being because it was too large to go easily on my kitchen range, and I didn’t feel like squatting over it on the basement floor.)

Speaking of fuel, alcohol – either liquid or gelled – is very popular for hiking and camping stoves. (Many canned heating units used gelled alcohol, but what I mean here is the separate alcohol gel fuel.) The gelled alcohol fuel I’ve seen is military surplus, in little olive-drab packets with instructions on one side and pithy bits of advice regarding military life and operations on the other. The gel is so thick it takes a bit of effort to squeeze out, but it also stays where you put it, even when burning. You can use it in any stove designed for fuel tabs, and some designed for fuel cans. Note that many alcohol fuels produce very little visible flame, which can be a problem with liquid fuels. A bit of spilled liquid fuel from filling a stove which ignites might not be noticed until it sets fire to something, or burns the user.

There are two types of solid fuel tabs I have experience with, both developed for military use but today having civilian versions. One of these is the US military’s trioxane. The other is the Esbit-type fuel tab. These – as well as the gel – burn vigorously, quickly bringing – as an example – a canteen cup of water to a boil. Both types have little odor (again, this will very by person and situation) leave little ash, and some formulations produce very little visible flame.

Other common fuels are Coleman/white gas (naphtha) and kerosene (for kerosene I am include a wide range of fuels, such as diesel and heater fuel, as well as dedicated lamp oil). Gasoline is rarely used, even though unleaded is no more dangerous than naphtha.

Kerosene, gasoline and naphtha have a bit higher energy density per unit mass and volume than the alcohols, but the difference is small. Surprisingly, the solid fuels have less energy than even alcohol per gram, though more per milliliter. Paraffin, beeswax and mixes are about the same as the more potent liquid fuels per gram, and more compact, but don’t really burn vigorously enough for practical cooking.

There are many camping stoves out there, of a wide variety of designs and using a number of different fuels. There are even flameless heaters, which depend on adding water to make them rust very, very fast. I live alone, so a small, single-burner stove is enough for emergencies. If you have a large family you may need something like a Coleman two-burner pressure fed stove using naphtha (white gas). These cook quickly, and are adjustable so you can simmer or warm with good control. You do have to pump them, though, and pay attention to the pressure.

Gas canister stoves use low-density fuels such as butane and propane, or a mix, in pressurized cans. They are often lighter than pressurized liquid fuel stoves. They – like the pressure stoves – produce intense heat and are also adjustable, making cooking easier and more flexible. Many canister stoves are specifically rated for use inside tents. (Keep in mind that the carbon monoxide ratings for camping stoves are for very enclosed spaces, such as tents. Whether a stove unsafe for a small tent would be safe in a home is uncertain. Just remember that CO is lighter than air.)

The Zip Stove has the disadvantage that it uses batteries, to drive a forced air fan. However, it has a major advantage over most camping stoves in that it uses available materials – such as twigs and pine needles – for fuel. While wood has too low an energy density to be worth carrying with you, dry wood is readily available most places people hike and camp, and you could easily stockpile some at your home. The forced draft of the Zip Stove makes fires easy to start and hotter burning, speeding cooking. Once it gets going good, it will even burn damp materials.

There is a compromise in stove design between adequate ventilation and keeping wind from blowing the heat away. Some stoves handle this better than others. Another reason I like the Sterno folding stove is that it includes a moveable front flap which can be used to adjust the airflow. Normally it would be fully closed to direct the convective flow of air upwards and help reflect heat, but if things are cooking a bit to fast you can open this to adjust the heat. Note that this is not a very large adjustment without a some wind to defend against.

In the very small category there are things such as the Vargo Outdoors Triad titanium stove, which only burns alcohol, and the Triad xe, which burns alcohol or fuel tabs or gel. Both are available for under $30. The Triad is about the size and shape of a can of shoe polish, and very, very light. Unfold the three legs and the identical (except for being on the top instead of the bottom) pot supports, add fuel, light and cook. Note that while the stoves are very small and extremely light, you still need to carry the fuel for them.

I have one of the multi-fuel Triad xe units, and it’s very interesting. There’s a center puck – normally held in the tray by the folded pot holder stems – which is used with alcohol. For solid fuel tabs or gel alcohol, simply remove the puck, put the fuel in the tray, light and cook. Using alcohol requires a bit more work. You twist the puck apart, producing a small pan and a vented cover. Fill the pan with alcohol, put the cover back on, put the puck in the tray, pour a little alcohol onto the puck to prime it and light. If you’ve done it right, by the time the outside alcohol has burned away the inside alcohol is hot enough to produce vapor.

Some folks actually make their own stoves similar to the Triad from aluminum soda or beer cans. I’m not that eager to save a few dollars in exchange for aluminum cuts. (Ouch.)

The folding WetFire stove is even smaller. It comes in steel and titanium versions, with the latter being the lighter (and more expensive). It has three flanges riveted to the bottom of a small tray. The tray is just slightly bigger than a fuel tab. The flanges unfold, pivoting around the central rivet, to form both legs for the stove and a stand for a pot or cup.

Several armies have military canteen cup stoves. These serve as both stove and cooking stand, take fuel tabs or gel, and when not in use fit around the base of the issue canteen cup, which in turn fits around the bottom of the canteen. There are both military surplus and civilian versions available. The limitation of these is that they are generally shaped to securely fit the canteen cup and nothing else.

A more generally useful military-originated stove is the Esbit. There are many versions besides the original, with different mixes of good and bad points. For example, Coghlan’s makes a version which isn’t quite as sturdy as the Esbit, but comes with more fuel. The Esbit was originally a WWII German Army stove, and is still in use by several militaries. Again there are both military surplus and civilian models. When folded closed it will store enough fuel tabs to heat over half a liter of water, depending on starting temperature. Somewhat larger than a deck of cards closed, it unfolds to hold the burner pan off the ground and support a pot or pan high enough for generally good combustion with fuel tabs or gel. There are even disposable Esbit stoves, which come flat in a package with some fuel tabs. Just fold the heavy foil into shape, add tabs and light.

Coghlan’s makes a folding stove which seems to be popular. It is cheaper than the Sterno folding stove, but is heavier, doesn’t block the wind as well and is shorter, allowing less distance between flame source and flame target. It also comes painted, which baffles me. When you first use one of the Coghlan’s stoves you smell the burned paint. Substantial use is required before enough of this burns off that you don’t get the odor. The Sterno stove is scent-free. However, the Coghlan’s stove has a burning tray which will hold canned heat, fuel tabs or gelled alcohol.

This short article barely scratches the surface of the topic. There’s a huge variety of portable stoves out there, of many different brands, for any sort of cooking. Whether for hiking, cooking at a campground or preparing meals during an emergency; for yourself, your immediate family or your entire block; whether fancy or simple; there’s something for everyone. Tailgate party-goers bring entire kitchens, including portable barbecue rigs. There are even portable electric stoves and ovens, if you have a generator or are at a campground with utilities. Prices range from literally $2.50 to hundreds of dollars. Everyone should have at least something for emergencies. As noted here, this doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult.

Sign-Cutting and OPSEC, by Infidel

In my line of work, if you are tracking someone, you are always behind them.  The only way to catch them is to run and that creates it’s own set of dangers.  

Sign-cutting is finding a track or “sign”, using human nature, the terrain and the environment to get ahead of the people you are tracking and waiting for them.  It is about being students of terrain, the environment you are in, and human nature.  

Let me break this down for you:  

Human Nature – Most people will not walk a strenuous path.  They will follow fence-lines, gulleys, ditches, game trails and possibly even snowmobile or quad trails  (I think the latter would be rare but they would make great escape routes).  They will not walk over hills or hummocks.  They will not walk against a furrowed field for very long.  Generally, people will follow the easiest path available in the general direction they wish to travel.  Of course there are exceptions to every rule.  Professionals will take the harder road because again, human nature, will lull you into thinking nobody will climb over that hill to get you!  One last type of person, the sheeple, will obviously follow the roads.  

The Environment – When traveling at night, humans will likely key in on an environmental feature, antenna light, airport strobe, city lights, lampposts, anything that is visible to be their guide, while still following human nature.  During the daytime the above features plus sounds can be added.  Don’t forget smoke from chimneys or fires will also be used by people as a visual guide during the day.  Weather will also play a role here, mainly in aging your sign but it may also slow down the group you are after.  

The Terrain – This is one of the most important aspects of this craft.  You must know the surrounding terrain, at least 1 mile beyond your retreat property.  Topo maps are a great second choice for this.  I like the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer state topo map books. (I have no affiliation, I just use them.)  But nothing beats feet on the ground.  Know the ranch or farm roads, the fence lines, the private access roads, etc.  Plot these on your maps.  Use a GPS to get accurate locations.  Don’t forget to check your environment at night.  Look for “guiding lights”.  This is a great opportunity to get in shape hiking the countryside.  You can also GPS fence lines from dirt roads as well.  County Platt books help in establishing fence lines and boundaries also.   The main idea here is to know the terrain so you can accurately predict routes that people will likely follow (or plan your escape route to avoid other groups) using the things stated in the Human Nature heading.   Another important reason for knowing the terrain is that you can reliably determine the route the individual/group is going to take.  This is why it is essential you know your area.  For instance, you found footprints walking south at the north end of John B’s fence line and you know that John B’s fence line intersects Road A, 3 miles south of your current location.  Knowing the property around that fence line to be predominantly swampy, you can accurately guess that the subject that made those tracks will be staying on the fence line.  So if you wished to intercept the subject, you would drive to Road A and park a distance from the fence line, stealthily move to the fence line and check for the exact same footprints you saw earlier (having memorized the pattern and any peculiarities of that pattern).  If you see them continue on, if you do not find them there, it’s a good possibility that you are ahead of the subject and can find a good vantage point and wait.  That in a nutshell is sign cutting.  

The Sign – Yes, this is just a footprint, but it can tell you so much.  It can tell you if the subject was running, walking, limping, tired, type of footwear, direction of travel and how many people are in the group.   To become proficient you must practice.  The easiest way is to find an area of bare earth.  Use an area that has the same type of soil as the majority of your property.  Clear it and rake it smooth.  Walk a straight line everyday for a week using the same footwear.  Make these trails side by side about a foot or two apart (pun intended).  Keep track of the weather for that week also, dew, rain, wind, etc.  Hopefully, you will have had dry weather for the week.  If not, it just got a little tougher.  Compare the edges of the prints.  Look to see how defined the new ones are and how the print edges degrade over time and weather.  Refer to your weather notes when looking at the sign.  Look at the indentation of the heels and toe.  The heel is usually sharp and deep.  The foot then rolls flat and up onto the toe as the step progresses.  At the finish of the step, there is usually a little dirt “kickup” just behind the toe print as the footwear leaves the ground for the next step.  

Once you think you are good at judging tracks.  Have a friend lay these same tracks but mix up where he walks them in the area.  Make sure he keeps a good drawing of when and where he walked.  You keep track of the weather for the time period.  Now go out at the end of the week and judge the age of the tracks.  Tell your friend when you think he laid(walked) what track and see if you are right.  Don’t get discouraged.  This takes awhile to learn.  Once you have this down fairly well, add rain, grass, etc.  Remember; don’t set yourself up for failure.  Add one element at a time, use soft soils until you get the technique.  

There are two types of running prints, the toe runner, this usually indicates sprinting meaning the subject heard you coming, saw you or got nervous about something.  These types of track usually only have toe prints.  They are deep and have a lot of kickup.  They usually progress into the next type of track due to fatigue.   I call the next type of runner the loper.  He is in for the long haul.  You will usually see a deep heel impression which may be partially filled in by the large kickup as his toe pushes off for the next step.   A tired person will usually drag their feet and these drag lines will be visible.  They usually are made by the toe and may come and go depending upon the age and level of fatigue of the individual.  You may see one at either foot or on both feet.  It can also look like a scuff mark made by sliding the whole shoe.  A limp will have two different types of tracks with the same footwear.  Usually the injured leg has a flat track with no heel depression or toe kick and it may have significant drag marks.  

Type of footwear comes with knowing what tread patterns look like.  I try to concentrate on remembering military style soles so I know who I am following.  

There are the crafty individuals who will attempt to “brush out” their tracks.  They will use a piece of cloth or brush to “sweep” the area in an attempt to cover their tracks.  This is obvious once you know what to look for (prep for this by “brushing out” your own tracks).  You can also avoid falling for these by not looking at just intersections for tracks.  Check up and down both lines of the intersection at least 20-30 feet.  

Sign-cutting is a craft.  I cannot stress highly enough that you must know the terrain you are in to be effective.  Knowing the age of the sign alone is not enough.  How people move is important.  Take a walk in the woods with friends.  Watch how people move through the terrain.  Which routes do they pick? How do they move through dense brush?  A park is perfect for watching people move through various types of terrain.  Where I live I have parks with steep ravines, rivers and large boulders.  You can see how people avoid hard trails and pick the path of least resistance.                

So, how does this play into operational security (OPSEC)?  First, having learned how people usually move, do the opposite.  The professionals do so must you.  Another point is knowing how people move, you know which routes to expect visitors from and you will be able to tell how many people went by, how long ago and what was their direction of travel and even more so, whether they stopped and watched or not.  Always watch for tripwires and ambushes.  the professionals know all this stuff and will be prepared to cover their back trail.   Stay safe, Stay alive.

Letter Re: Harry Figgie Was Right — Just Very Early

Mr. Rawles,  
I pulled out my copy of Bankruptcy 1995: The Coming Collapse of America and How to Stop It by Harry E. Figgie, Jr. and discovered on pp. 85-87 three warning signs that the US is headed for what Mr. Figgie calls a “deep, deep depression.” They are:   

  • Tax revenue is no longer sufficient to service the debt;   
  • Substantial government debt is purchased by the Federal Reserve; and   
  • Congress and the administration not only fail to address mounting deficits but make the situation worse.  

The book is copyrighted 1992. It would appear Mr. Figgie was off by about 16 years.  

It is time to take another look at preps, snug down the seat belts, and make sure seat backs and trays are in an upright and locked position.   Wishing you and yours all the best. – Home’s Cool Mom

JWR Replies: I concur! By the way, the second item “Substantial government debt is purchased by the Federal Reserve” is a practice commonly called monetization, or in the current parlance “Quantitative Easing.” Get ready, folks!

Economics and Investing:

I’m sure you’ve noticed that US Dollar Index is down to 74.4, spot gold is up to $1,507 per ounce, and spot silver is at $45.89. As I’ve been warning you since September of 2005: Get out of U.S. Dollars and into useful tangibles! If you feel that you’ve missed the boat on precious metals, then buy guns and common caliber ammunition while they are still affordable. I suspect that they won’t be affordable (in U.S. Dollar terms) in a couple of years. Also, be forewarned: The COMEX Governors are soon likely to slam on the brakes on the precious metals markets by changing their trading rules. (Most likely by raising margin requirements.) Prices will get very volatile. Be ready to take advantage of any steep sell-offs.

J.D.D. forwarded this: Balancing Budgets on Drivers’ Backs

Eric B. sent this: Asian Investors Risk Losses on Dollar Holdings After S&P Outlook Cut

Reader “AmEx” flagged this: Gold-Shortage Threat Drives Texas Schools Hoarding 664,000 Ounces at HSBC. If just 10% of futures contract buyers start demanding physical delivery, then there will be a monumental shortage.

G.G. offered this: U.S. corn reserves may hit 15-year low

The best currency is gold and silver, says Marc Faber. (A hat tip to B.B. for the link.)

Count On It! This is an article about raising the debt ceiling. OBTW, if they keep raising it so consistently, why do they still call it a ‘ceiling’? Perhaps they should more properly call it an elevator.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Five Years From US Housing Peak, Still No Bottom

10 US Housing Markets at Risk of a Major Collapse

J&J Lead Dow Stocks Higher

Sell-off Spreads to Asia After S&P Downgrades US Debt

S&P’s Ratings Warning is a Small Step, But a Giant Leap in Every Other Sense

Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent this: Stuff To Consider When Planning For SHTF Scenarios.

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Reader F.G. suggested this: Earth Class Mail – Best Mail Forwarding Service So Get A Ghost Address

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Dan S. recommend this article: Banning Guns by Changing Definitions, Part 4

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For those of you who are news junkies, bookmark this one: The InnoPlexION

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When the drug you need to cure a cancer is nowhere to be found. (Thanks to F.D. for the link.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 34 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 34 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Power of Three, by Jerry S.

Since we have all been reminded of the principle the “two is one and one is none”, it brings me to the conclusion that being prepared is really about “having a backup for your backup”.  So if “two is one”, then “three must be two”.  That has led me on a quest to discover at a minimum, three different ways to approach the problems we’ll face in a disaster situation.  If you are new to prepping or just want a different perspective of looking at things, maybe this will help.  To get us started, the first thing you should be thinking about is the three most likely events or disasters you are likely to face in your area or region.  It wouldn’t make much sense for you to study up on and prepare for a tsunami when you live in the Oklahoma.  Just like winter storms may not mean much where you live but hurricanes may be the norm. I have tried to break everything down in digestible categories.  Make a list of the sections below as well as any that I may have left off and list as many ways of replacing how it is done in your home right now.  If you can’t think of at least three ways, mark that area as needing more work.  

Knowledge:
After you identify those events that are most likely to put you in a tailspin, we need to look for resources to educate us on how to prepare for those specific life-changing events.   As someone that loves to read and likes having the material around later for reference, I started reading all I could find on the subject.  You should have a lot more than three books, you could have three books just on first aid and not cover everything.  One thing that I have done was to search out what I think are three of the best non-fiction books on preparedness, because most of ideas and skills will be learned from them. The list could go one for pages as to which books are best, but the ones I think will serve you for the longer term are When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin, The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery , and either the SAS Survival Handbook by John “Lofty” Wiseman (for outdoor survival) or Preparedness Now! by Aton Edwards (for urban survival).

Add to those three books, the best three fiction books on preparedness.  For this list I feel like the best book on the market with a financial collapse as the setting is Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles.  For those of us that are concerned with a total grid down scenario that could be caused by an EMP, then there is One Second After by William R. Forstchen. If you would like to read about life after a nuclear exchange, Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank would be my choice.  Each of these have almost a cult following and are revered in the prepping world as definitive works on the subject.  So for a little more that $75 you would be on your way to the wealth of knowledge needed for your family’s survival.  OBTW, I just received the Survival Blog Archives CD in the mail.  I am enjoying reading and in some cases re-reading articles that are tried and true from real-life people.  These books aren’t listed in any particular order, but I might would purchase one fiction and non-fiction at a time or in pairs.  The fiction you will obviously read straight through and the non-fiction can act as your reference material for acquiring the skills we’ll talk about later.

Food and Water:
Many arguments have been made as to what comes first, food or shelter.  That is not an issue I’d like to debate in this article.  Hopefully as you prepare, you can cover several areas at the same time in different degrees.   Both FEMA and the Red Cross recommend having a three day supply of water on hand for emergencies.  The more you store the better off you’ll be should an event last longer than three days or visitors show up needing help.  You should also be able to immediately identify where you can find at least three different sources of water once what you have is depleted.  In addition to locating various sources of water, you need to know at least three different methods of treating water to make it potable. Some methods are easier than others and some require that you purchase additional equipment.  You’ll pick up ideas from the books listed above on where to find water and the SAS Survival Manual as well as When All Hell Breaks Loose both has excellent chapters on how to treat it.  Choose what works best for you but don’t limit yourself to just three methods.  Remember, with three we are just covering the basics.

For life sustaining food, we need to learn at least three ways to obtain food outside of our pantry.  For most that means fishing, hunting, trapping, gardening, bartering, scavenging, etc.  Mastering those skills takes lots of time but if you don’t start today, you’ll find yourself out of time to learn and very hungry.  To take the pressure off of you, make sure you start building a deep pantry.  For beginners, let’s start with 3 days, working our way to 3 weeks and then 3 months worth of food storage.  You should start working on this today as this could be a critical deficiently in your plans.  Just think, with very little money and one trip to the store you could have 3 days covered pretty quickly.  The goal should be one year’s worth of food with lots of heirloom seeds for resupply, but for now we are just trying to get you started.  Now that we have food, we should focus on the three best methods of preparing it and preserving your food.   I would start with the basics though and go from there.  For cooking, think about cooking with grid power, barbeque grill, camp stove, and an open fire.  Charcoal stores well if kept dry.  While it would be difficult to convert a charcoal grill to propane would take nothing much to burn charcoal in the propane grill once the propane is all gone.  It takes some practice to get good at cooking with a solar oven or Dutch oven.  Don’t count them out, but look for the most logical way to cook right now and learn to cook with those methods once you have the faster or easier alternatives covered.  They definitely have their place, but take care of the basics first and work your way up to these.  For preserving food, learn canning and dehydrating now while your life doesn’t depend on it.  Don’t forget about smoking or curing your meats as well.

This brings us to point or skill that we must master.  For lack of a better place to include it, I’ll cover it in this section.  We have to learn how to make fire.  This is an area that I think instead of learning three ways to make fire, you should learn maybe six ways.  Look for the easiest ways to accomplish this with lighters, matches, and a fire-steel.  But don’t stop there.  We have all seen the lone survivor on television trying to make fire by rubbing two sticks together…let this be your last resort because you know so many more ways to make it happen. For probably less than $10, you can scratch this category off the list.  Check out Firesteel.com.  They have great prices on firesteel and you can get just about any size you’d want.

Shelter:
Without shelter, being exposed to the elements can get you killed no matter how well rested, feed, or watered you are.  Learn at least three ways to provide shelter for you and your family.  It can be as simple as a tent, or living out of your vehicle, but explore as many ways as possible to put a shelter over your head.  Now try to think of ways to do it with the least amount of resources possible.  When you think about shelter, don’t forget about how you would keep it heated or cooled.  The book When All Hell Breaks Loose has a great section on creating micro-climates within structures to do this very thing as well as a poor man’s sleeping bag made out of newspapers and trash bags.

Another area that doesn’t get covered as much as some ideas in the blogs is where you’ll be staying.  We cover retreats in great detail, but what about those of us that don’t have that as a luxury?  It should be the ultimate goal, but what about the time between now and then?  Well a simple solution would be to have at least three alternate places to “stay” or “rest up” while you recover from whatever drove you from your home.  This location could be shared with you by any number of friends, family, or neighbors.  Be willing to offer the same accommodations to them as well.  Letting someone stay at your house while repairs are being done on theirs will pay dividends in the long run.  The number one goal for my family is to not have to show up at a FEMA center or shelter.  Let’s learn to ride out the storm with our own resources.  From what I have read, I promise you the experience of being stuck with hundreds if not thousands of refugees is not going to be pleasant.

 

Survival Kits, Bug-Out Bags, Etc.:
So much has been written on this particular area, I will not try to add anything to it except to say that you should have at least three kits or BOBs.  Some refer to a Level I, II, III or Tier I, II, III, etc.  My thoughts on this area is maybe a “Get Home Bag” for getting to the very place where maybe all your supplies are, a “Vehicle Kit” for each car, and maybe a “Get Out of Dodge Bag” for the time that you may have to leave immediately with only what you can carry in your arms or on your back.  I always enjoy reading articles about this topic as well as viewing the videos on Youtube.com.  There is always something to take away from seeing what someone else is doing. 

Don’t let the kit get so big and heavy that you never have it with you.  What good is all that stuff 10 miles from where you need it.    Think of all of those displaced people in Japan that would love to have what they could carry on their backs as extra provisions.  If you hunt a lot, then maybe a small survival tin should be in your hunting coat at all times.  A great little kit for that is the Altoids Survival Tin.  Google it and you’ll find all kinds of neat things to stuff inside of it.  As you read the fiction books and watch television, make mental notes of what would have been helpful to have for certain situations.  Look for items that can serve a multi-purpose.  Tin foil and Duct-tape pop in my mind here.  There are some great videos on Youtube.com that cover every known kit you can imagine.  Lots of great articles have been written in the blogs as well.  You can’t use what you don’t have, so always be thinking about this.  Bug-Out Bags are in a constant state of evolution and are updated as other situations come to mind.

Lights and Power:
Try thinking of three ways to provide lighting.  There are Kerosene lanterns, battery powered lanterns, candles, flashlights, headlamps, etc.  Each one has its place during a crisis.  Try working on your car in the dark while holding a flashlight in your mouth.  A headlamp would be great for this.  A lantern works best when trying to provide light for a larger area but requires a larger supply of wicks, oil, or batteries.  It doesn’t matter what the disaster is, life doesn’t stop when the lights go out.  For some, that is when things really get scary.  Nothing adds moral like being able to see when it is dark.

Well where there is light, there must be a source of renewable energy.  Even candles require wax.  When it comes to items that are battery powered, rechargeable batteries are the way to go, but they must be recharged.    Enter the power source.  Think of three ways to generate power.  This could be a small setup for solar power to recharge small batteries and maybe even a deep cycle battery or two…or three.  Keep three sets rechargeable batteries on hand for each device that you’ll be using.  One in the device, one ready to use and you’ll have one charging when the time comes.  The most obvious source of power would be a portable generator.  Keep in mind that fuel will be in very limited supply and you’ll want to stretch it out as long as you can.  There have been many great articles on solar power and generators, but think outside the box.  In January there was a great SurvivalBlog post that described converting a gasoline generator to a tri-fuel generator for less than $200 and just about anyone can install the parts. Don’t forget about wind power as well. Often this is a little harder to wrap our minds around but at least consider printing off some plans and maybe purchasing the key components now while they are available.

Communication:
If you have taken any leadership classes you’ll remember that more and more people complain about the lack of communication they receive from their higher-ups, even in the digital age we live in.  In an emergency situation, communication is critical but is also the last thing considered in the immediate area affected.  This is definitely not a situation where “No news is good news”.  It should also be noted that communication is just as much about listening than talking.  Just ask those we live and work with about it.  For this, let’s think about three different ways to both get and give out information.  What comes to mind are scanners, shortwave radios, handheld two-way radios, CB radio, etc.  As you think more about this, more ideas will pop into mind.  Think about your emergency contacts for instance.  We all should have a local emergency contact person(s), someone that is regional, and someone that is national.  During Katrina, local calls where impossible but if you were lucky you could make a long-distance call to relatives or friends.

Travel:
Always have three different routes to get home from work or school.  It is not likely that a disaster will be severe enough to affect all three routes at the same time.  Have three modes of transportation as well (think vehicle, bicycle, walking).  Most of us wake up every morning with one mode already attached and ready to go, our feet.  Take care to put good boots or shoes on them, they may be your only way out.

Firearms, Security, and OPSEC:
As with all other areas, we’ll leave the detail to the experts and further reading on your part to determine what options are best.  The objective here is to get you to think about all three areas in units of three.  For firearms, three separate calibers of firearms are the basic level.  After reading many posts here and elsewhere it seems to come down to the .22 rifle, a shotgun, and a center-fire rifle of some type.  Owning these three and being able to safely use them will put you ahead of most people.  There are many out there that claim they’ll just take what they need, but you never hear about them practicing with their firearms.  They may be the ones getting the surprise. 

When we think of security we should think in terms of layers.  There hasn’t been a fortress built yet that can’t be penetrated, given enough time.  What we are looking for is an immediate deterrent and setup for alerting us when there is a problem.  For your home or retreat, what three things can provide the best security for the time and money that we have to dedicate to this area?  It might include fencing, bars over windows, thorn bushes, lighting, dogs, etc.  With three layers out there, it would be difficult for someone to get through all three quickly without tipping you off.

For force multipliers we can also apply the rule of three.  Think of the three most affordable things you can use as a force multiplier. Perhaps the best force multiplier is not letting anyone know you are there and what you have.  Camouflage, Binoculars, scoped rifles, high capacity magazines, communications, etc. increase your chance of surviving in case you get pushed into a corner.

Miscellaneous Items:
What would be the best three barter goods?
Create at least three caches of goods.
Think about the three most useful skills to attain?

 

In closing, I hope that this has given you more to think about and do.  Preparing yourself and your family is more about knowing and doing and less about spending and having.  Search the blogs for the details and realize that more can be done with a mind that thinks outside of the box than someone with a truckload of equipment but doesn’t know how to use it.  Lastly, always be on the lookout for three families to prep with.  Surviving any type of disaster is much more bearable with a core group of people with a good mix skills.  Just think about all the resources that six adults with the right attitude could provide.  It is true that there would be more mouths to feed but also more help for every area.  If you had two other families that you were close to and felt like you knew each other pretty well and had to provide practically everything else as far as provisions go, you’d be better off mentally than trying to go it all alone in a rabbit hole somewhere.  Once you identify those that your family would be most compatible with, ease them into the mindset of prepping so that you don’t have the burden of prepping for families outside your own.  Now that we having you thinking about doing everything in units of three, think of how far ahead you’d be if we had five different alternatives for solving problems that will arise right after a critical event.

A Guide for the Herbal Medicine Closet, by Heather F.

So you stock up on a year’s supply of medications. What then? There comes a tremendous sense of confidence when you know how to find and grow your own “medicines”. I have to begin with my very favorite herb and actually most common “weed”; though, weed is a dirty word in my vocabulary! You will find that most of the plants we consider nuisances are some of the most beneficial herbs for healing. This article has an emphasis on herbs for respiratory ailments.

Herbs You Can Find Growing Wild:

Plantain can be found virtually anywhere in the United States and every continent except Antarctica. And no, I’m not talking about the banana. Over 200 varieties and all equally potent. Long-leaf is the most common in the US. Plantain is a powerful astringent. Used by our ancient ancestors to heal–the bites of mad dogs, staph infection, snake bites and venomous creatures, bee stings, abscesses, boils, congestion in the lungs, the list goes on forever! We had what we believed to be an breakout of methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) over a year ago, and using only plantain (external and internal), tea tree oil (external), and clove (internal) we were able to completely eradicate it! NO antibiotics, NO topical creams….and not a single breakout since. I would never want to be without plantain! Can also be used for earaches, and has been said to restore quite decayed hearing when it’s infusion is placed into the ears.
It’s Uses: expectorant, astringent, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, anodyne, styptic, diuretic, the list goes on.
How to use it: Direct Poultice: If you’re outside and you get stung by a bee, spider, snake, anything you want to pull the venom out immediately, grab a few leaves (it usually grows anywhere, though you may have to walk around a while to find it) chew them up in your mouth until they are nice and juicy J and then place on the area you want to draw the poison out of. You will be amazed at how quickly this helps with pain!! I am highly allergic to bees, and every year somehow I get stung. If I apply plantain asap, usually there is very minimal swelling, and very little pain.
Infusion: You have a chest cold and you need help getting rid of lung congestion. Gather a large handful of leaves and pour boiling water over. Let sit at least 30 minutes…the longer the better. Drain the liquid-this is what you drink. Sweeten if you need to. It also helps with lung congestion to make a poultice from the leaves and place on your chest for as long as you can bear to leave it on.
Tincture: Winter is coming and you want to store some plantain in your cupboard for that upcoming cold/infection. Of course you can dry the leaves if you want. However, a tincture is much more potent. Fill an entire mason jar full of the leaves, seeds, roots, and pour vodka until they are completely covered. Let macerate for 5 weeks, shaking the jar once a day, and keeping it out of sunlight in a cool place. Drain liquid out. For just external uses you can do the same thing with olive oil. And if you don’t want to use alcohol, you can substitute it for apple cider vinegar.

For identification, go here.

Elderberry can be found throughout North America. It prefers moist ground, so you will usually find it alongside creeks, rivers, and streams. An infusion made from the berries is an excellent remedy for cold and flu season. An infusion made from the flowers is a wonderful eyewash for conjunctivitis. Elderberry is absolutely wonderful for the respiratory system! A powerful immune-booster. Every time I feel a cold coming on I go straight to elderberry tea! Typically within a few hours I feel myself again!
It’s Uses: Leaves: emollient, vulnerary (topically), strong purgative, expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic. Flowers: diaphoretic, anti-catarrhal, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory.
JWR Adds: Elderberry contains a cyaniad producing glycoside in that is particularly dangerous to small children. It also contains an alkaloid that is toxic in fruit that is not ripe, so beware of that as well. As with any herbal remedy, reserach it well before use!

Berries: Diaphoretic, immune-building, laxative, anti-rheumatic.
How to use it: Syrup: Place around 5 oz. Fresh berries, or 3-4 oz. dried berries in a mason jar, cover with boiling water. Allow to sit over-night. Drain out the liquid, and reheat slightly. Add about ½ c honey. Now you have your infusion. If you have it I add about 15 drops of grapefruit seed extract (GSE). It adds many benefits in aiding your immune system as well as preserving your infusion longer. Adults take 1-2 tablespoons every few hours, children around 2 tsp. Store in your refrigerator. Will last at least a month.

For identification, go here.

Honeysuckle If you can’t find  Elderberry near you, or the birds get to the berries before you can,  Honeysuckle can work quite nicely as a substitute. The flowers are traditionally used for bacterial dysentery, urinary disorders, eliminating toxins from the body, colds, fevers, flu, asthma, coughs, chest congestion, and laryngitis. It can be used as an external wash for boils, infected wounds, swelling, scabies, tumors, and rheumatism. The flowers have components that help to lower blood cholesterol, as well as being anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-tuberculostatic.
How to use it: You can make a tea from the flowers. The berries, however, are toxic. So stay away from those. The leaves are fine as well, however the flowers are much more potent.
Tincture: Fill a mason jar with flowers, cover with brandy. Shake once a day, keeping in a cool, dark place, for around 5-6 weeks. Strain though a cheesecloth or a T-shirt, and you can add (but not necessary) 10-15 drops of GSE.
Syrup: The same way as the elderberry syrup, only fill the entire jar with flowers.

Mullein Is another of my favorites. It grows throughout the Northern tier and Eastern half of the United States. It is a strong, self-sowing biennial. You will find it particularly on road sides (though I wouldn’t gather mine here), waste grounds, pasture fences; it typically grows in poor soils, and even sandy soils. The leaves  are used for asthma, allergies, bronchitis,  coughs, croup, pulmonary diseases, mild sedative, antihistamine, swelling, pain, and the list goes on. The seeds  rapidly pass through the intestines and have been used successfully in intestinal obstructions. However, some say that with repeated use they can be toxic. They have a pretty strong narcotic effect as well. Dr. Christopher states that it is the “only herb known to man that has remarkable narcotic properties without being poisonous or harmful. Great painkiller and nervous soporific, calming and quieting all inflamed and irritated tissues.” They are also used in asthma and infantile convulsions. The Flowers are excellent for earaches and ear infections.

How to use it: Poultice from the leaves. Tear a few leaves pretty finely, pour just enough hot water to barely wet. When it cools enough to touch, apply to affected area.
Tea: Put one or two leaves in hot water and allow to steep for around 20 minutes. Remove the leaves, and sweeten if you need to.
Infusion: Gather the flowers every day (there will be new buds each day) and place in olive oil. Place in a warm spot, but not to where the sunlight is hitting it directly. What I do is place it either in the sun under a cardboard box, or in my car under a blanket or cardboard box. Shake daily and allow to infuse for about 3-4 weeks. Strain though a cheesecloth or old T-shirt. This is what you use for ear infections. Works like a charm!

Preserve the leaves by allowing to dry. Just KEEP THEM OUT OF SUNLIGHT. I cannot emphasize this enough. It applies to all herbs, and it is very important because the sun creates oxidation, which eventually leeches out all the minerals and nutrients in the herb.

For identification, go here.

Red Clover is absolutely powerful. It relaxes the nerves, and the entire nervous system. Can be used as a sedative. It has also been used quite successfully to fight cancer. It is a marvelous preventative for health problems, and a great wash for sores. It is especially good for pertussis (whooping cough), and it can be drunk freely. It is also wonderful externally for burns, sore, athlete’s foot, and ulcers. An anti-spasmodic and expectorant, also good for asthma.
How to use it: Tea: made from the blossoms. Place 4-5 blossoms in a cup of hot water. Steep for 20 minutes. Sweeten if desired.
Tincture: Fill a mason jar with only the blossoms (the other parts are not harmful, however, it is the blossoms that are the most potent), cover with vodka. Let sit in cool, dark spot for 4-6 weeks, shaking daily. Strain through cheesecloth or old T-shirt.
Preserve the flowers by drying.

For identification, go here.

Blackberry Is known to prevent fluid loss during dysentery. It is also well known for stopping gastric bleeding. Regular consumption of the berries (can make a tincture) can aid in killing off the free radicals that are linked with the development or heart disease and cancer. However, the leaves and roots are wonderful too! Absolutely wonderful for colds and flu. It is also used for fever, arthritis, gout, pain, and infections.
It’s Uses: Astringent, tonic, alterative, anti-emetic, hemostatic, anti-abortive, parturient (leaves).
How to use it: Tea from the leaves and woody part of the bramble is wonderful for diarrhea. Tea from the berries is wonderful for colds and flus.
Leaf Tincture: Fill jar with leaves and roots, cover with either cider vinegar or vodka. Process goes as all other tinctures. Used for fever, arthritis, gout, and diarrhea. Used topically for pain. 1 tsp./hour until fever drops.
Berry Tincture: Same as above, only with berries instead of leaves and roots. Used for colds, flu, and infections.

Herbs You Should Grow at Home:

Not that you shouldn’t be trying to grow any of the others. Red Clover, for example is an easy, important herb that you can and should be growing now. It’s in the other list, however, because it can easily be found in the wild.

Oregano is used for coughs and colds, degenerative arthritis, rheumatism, upset stomach, urinary tract infections, sore throats, infections, fever, vomiting, jaundice, and asthma attacks. It is an antiseptic, antiviral, and anti-microbial. Strong anti-oxidant.
How to use it: Tincture made from the leaves for coughs, rheumatism, bronchitis, asthma, infections, and sore throat.
Tea  3 cups of boiling water over 1 cup fresh leaves (or half cup dried leaves), steep 20 minutes. Take ½ cup three times a day.
Infusion Made with olive oil from the leaves is a powerful antiseptic externally.

 

Lobelia is probably the most vital plant that you should be growing. Especially if you or your child, or someone you know, has asthma. I have asthma and this is what I rely on for TEOTWAWKI. Inhalers will be hard to come by, and I know what a down hill slide asthma can be when you have nothing to treat it. Lobelia can be balanced by taking it with cayenne.
It’s Uses: Anti-asthmatic, anti-spasmodic, expectorant, emetic, bronchodilator, nervine (a Stimulant, in small doses, but a Relaxant, in large doses), diaphoretic, diuretic, cathartic, and astringent.
How to use it: Tincture: Fill jar with herb, and cover with apple cider vinegar. Lobelia’s components work the absolute best with apple cider vinegar. It is important that you don’t allow it to get too warm, either. The structure of lobelia is lost when it is heated even slightly, so take care. It only needs to macerate for two weeks.

The tincture can be used for such a wide variety of ailments. Such as asthma, croup, infections, boils, sedative, lockjaw, ringworm, hepatitis, and convulsions. It is excellent for convulsions. Can be rubbed on the body or placed in the mouth and the body will absorb it quickly, relieving convulsions. Rubbing the tincture on the shoulders of a restless child is wonderful for helping him calm down and go to sleep. It also helps to rub on the gums of a teething baby. Especially good for croup and respiratory ailments.

Preserve through drying.

JWR Adds: Be adviswed that Lobelia is poisonous in high doses.

 

Comfrey I would not want to be without this marvelous herb! A powerful allantoin and traditional healer. About a year and a half ago I had a complete humeral spiral fracture. Needless to say it was extremely painful, and I had been told that it would take at least 10-12 weeks for it to heal enough to have moderate use out of it. Everything I read, most sufferers from this break never had 100% use of their arm even after two years of healing and therapy. Not to mention the lingering pain they had on cold or wet days. After 1 week of healing I was able to begin applying comfrey poultices to the break (I had a removable cast). After only seven weeks I was able to remove the brace that supported my arm, and I had no pain! I didn’t even do physical therapy (other than daily push-ups in my workout regime). My arm is now stronger than it ever was, and I have no pain from it whatsoever!
It’s Uses: Mucilaginous, vulnerary, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, anti-psoriatic, astringent, expectorant, anti-tumor, cell proliferant, nutritive, and hemostatic. Amazing healer.
How to use it: Poultice made from the leaves applied to cleaned wound. Will heal extremely quickly. Even better if combined with plantain. The plantain removes the toxins, while comfrey heals.

Neither of the lists is by any means exhaustive. There are so many herbs I would love to write about, but these are some of the top of my list.

Remember, when dealing with herbs, you are being your own doctor, so be sure to:

  1. Do the requisite research.
  2. Identify the plants with absolute certainty.
  3. Label tinctures clearly with ingredients and dates prepared.  

 

The American Redoubt Proposal — Criticism, as Expected

For those that have requested it, I turned my American Redoubt post into a static page. I also added a map to illustrate the concept.

To answer some of the critics who have recently bashed me at a survival forum, I added an important point of clarification: I do not, nor have I ever advocated asking anyone already living here in the Redoubt States to leave, nor would I deny anyone’s right to move here, regardless of their faith, (or lack thereof).

I forgive the people that try to put words into my mouth, or dream up nonexistent sub-texts, or try to make me look like some sort of racist. I refuse to either retaliate or get into an endless debate with them. They can attack me repeatedly, and I’ll keep forgiving them, repeatedly.

Clearly, I have shown through all of my writings dating back for four decades that I’m an ANTI-racist. My stance against racism is abundantly clear in my Precepts page. Yet still people fling mud, reflexively. They seem to erroneously assume that devout Bible-believing Christians must have some secret racist attitudes. The truth is, there is only one race, the human race. That is what the Bible teaches. May the Love of Christ surround our enemies.